Toy balloon



Dec. 4, 1962 A. VAN DAM 3,066,440

TOY BALLOON Filed May 24, 1960 FIG. l

FIG. )1

INVENTOR. ALBERT VAN DAM ATTORNEY wi! H The present invention relates to toy balloons. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toy balloon which is provided with means for easily inflating the same through a device which has the dual function of facilitating the inflation of the balloon and providing a whistling sound when the air is permitted to escape from the balloon through the device.

According to another aspect of the invention, a string is provided for holding the balloon, and the various elements comprising the toy balloon are positioned so as to automatically provide for the spinning of the balloon about the string when the balloon is deflated, such deflation also providing a whistling sound and a jet propelled eflect.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable toy balloon of generally improved construction and having a plurality of attractive novel features.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a toy balloon which may be easily inflated through a device, which device operates as a whistle when the inflated balloon is allowed to be deflated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a toy balloon provided with an asymmetrical plug device having an aperture through which the air can escape so that upon escape of the air, the balloon will be jet propelled and have a spinning action during such propulsion.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in elevation, showing the three elements forming the toy balloon in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the toy balloon in its assembled condition showing the balloon when deflated;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the balloon in its inflated condition;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the spinning effect of the toy balloon in accordance with the invention, when it is attached to a string and deflated.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 1d refers to the assembled toy balloon in accordance with the invention. Toy balloon lit comprises the balloon proper 12, a tubular sleeve 14, and a tubular plug device in. Balloon proper 12 is provided with the usual cylindrical shaped neck 13 and ridged mouth 20. The sleeve 14 is merely a tubular open-ended member which may be made of any suitable material such as cardboard or plastic. Sleeve 14 is adapted to be passed over the neck 18 of balloon l2 and occupy the position thereof shown in F163. 2, 3 and 4.

Plug 16, as best shown in FIG. 4, comprises a tubular member 22 being open at one end 24 thereof and closed at the other end thereof by a wall 26. This plug 16 is adapted to be inserted at its open end into the mouth of the balloon proper, in the manner best shown in FIG. 4 so as to firmly secure the neck 18 of the balloon between sleeve 14 and plug 16. Plug 16 is apertured, as at 23, at its peripheral wall, and a whistle 3b is fixedly secured to plug 16 at aperture 28. Whistle 30 is provided 3,066,449 Patented Dec. 4, 1962 with an aperture 32 through which air may be freely admitted for inflating the balloon. Air may freely escape, though at a controlled rate, through aperture 32, when the balloon is deflated, and during such escape of air a whistling sound will be produced by the whistle 30, in the usual way associated with known Whistles. Plug 16 may be made of plastic or any other suit-able material.

A string 34 may be used to hold the balloon. As shown in FIG. 4, plug device 16 is provided with a narrow slit 36 for attaching such a string to the device 10, by knotting the string, as at 3%, to prevent its removal when the plug is assembled onto the toy. Slit 36 is preferably disposed diametrically opposite to the location of whistle 30 so that the toy balloon defines an eccentric member about the string. In this way, and asbest shown in FIG. 5, when the balloon is permitted to deflate, the latter will be, not only jet propelled, while producing a whistling sound, but will also spin about string 34.

While string 34 is shown in FIG. 4 as being secured to the device 16 through slit 36, it will be understood that string may be equally well attached to the toy balloon ill by other means. For example, it is not necessary to provide a slit in plug device 16 and it would be suflicient to merely insert string 34 inside the mouth of balloon proper 12 prior to the insertion of plug device 16 therein. In this way, string 34 will be securely held between the plug and the balloon proper 12.

The assembly of the toy balloon, in accordance with the invention, is thus as follows: The sleeve 14 is passed over the neck 18 of balloon proper 12, the string 34 is then inserted either in the slit 36 of plug 16 or simply in the mouth 2% of the balloon proper 12, and the plug 16 is then inserted at its open end into the mouth of the balloon proper 12, The toy balloon it) is now ready for its operation which is as follows: The balloon proper is inflated by blowing air through the aperture 32 of whistle 30. When the balloon is inflated, it may be retained in such inflated condition by merely placing a finger over the aperture 32, by twisting the balloon proper 12, or by tying a short string around the neck of the balloon where its exits from sleeve 14. When the balloon is subsequently deflated, the air will escape at a controlled rate through aperture 32 causing a pleasant whistling sound, and if the toy balloon 10 is held by string 34 during the escape of the air, the toy will be jet propelled and spin around the string in the manner shown in FIG. 5.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the in vention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy, comprising an inflatable balloon having a neck terminating in an open end which defines the mouth of said inflatable balloon, an open-ended tubular member, the neck of said balloon being inserted in said openended tubular member whereby the latter defines a sleeve having a substantial longitudinal extent, a plug device inserted in said mouth whereby said neck is retained fixedly between said sleeve and said plug, said plug defining a closure for the mouth of said balloon, said plug also being provided with means for inflating said balloon and for permitting the controlled escape of air from said balloon without removing the plug, said last mentioned means including a device for providing a whistling sound when the air is permitted to escape from the balloon, said plug comprising a hollow tubular member being open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereaoeaaao of with said plug being inserted in said mouth at the open end thereof, said means for permitting the inflation and the deflation of said balloon being disposed at the peripheral wall of the plug and through a single aperture therein.

2. A toy, comprising an inflatable balloon having a neck terminating in an open end which defines the mouth of said inflatable balloon, an open-ended tubular member, the neck of said balloon being inserted in said openended tubular member whereby the latter defines a sleeve having a substantial longitudinal extent, a plug device inserted in said mouth whereby said neck is retained fixedly between said sleeve and said plug, said plug defining a closure for the mouth of said balloon, said plug also being provided with means for inflating said balloon and for permitting the controlled escape of air from said balloon without removing the plug, said last mentioned means including a device for providing a whistling sound when the air is permitted to escape from the balloon, said plug comprising a hollow tubular member being open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereof with said plug being inserted in said mouth at the open end thereof, said means for permitting the in flation and the deflation of said balloon being disposed at the peripheral wall of the plug and through a single aperture therein, and flexible means for supporting said balloon at the mouth thereof, whereby when said balloon is permitted to be deflated the latter will be jet propelled and spin around said support means while also producing a whistling sound.

3. A toy, comprising an inflatable balloon having a neck terminating in an open end which defines the mouth of said inflatable balloon, an open-ended tubular member, the neck of said balloon being inserted in said open-ended tubular member whereby the latter defines a sleeve having a substantial longitudinal extent, a plug device inserted in said mouth whereby said neck is retained figzedly between said sleeve and said plug, said plug defining a closure for the mouth of said balloon, said plug also being provided with means for inflating said balloon and for permitting the controlled escape of air from said balloon without removing the plug, said last mentioned means including a device for providing a whistling sound when the air is permitted to escape from the balloon, said plug comprising a hollow tubular member being open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereof with said plug being inserted in said mouth at the open end thereof, means for permitting the inflation and the deflation of said balloon being disposed at the peripheral wall of the plug and through a single aperture therein, and flexible means for supporting said balloon at the mouth thereof, whereby when said balloon is permitted to be deflated the latter will be jet propelled and spin around said support means while also producing a whistling sound, said support means comprising a string fixedly attached to said balloon at a point of attachment disposed diametrically opposite from the location of said inflating and deflating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 918,973 Creque Apr. 20, 1909 1,137,385 Creque Apr. 27, 1915 2,524,059 Kennedy Oct. 3, 1950 2,553,941 Raab May 22, 1951 2,677,213 \Vechsler May 4, 1954 2,870,570 Benson Jan. 27, 1959 

